


Four Octobers

by gravitiesfall



Category: Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: College AU, M/M, Parapines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-10 16:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5593105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gravitiesfall/pseuds/gravitiesfall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a college au where dip works at a haunted house and norman is a critic. written for 2015 parapines secret santa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Year 1

**Author's Note:**

> this has four short chapters. i'll get the other ones up asap but i have limited computer access rn. enjoy!!

The first year the boy comes, Dipper doesn't know what to make of him.   
  
  
Tall, and gangly. Dark hair sticking straight up into the air -- how much gel does that take? A red sweatshirt and dark jeans. A clipboard.   
  
  
What is the clipboard for?   
  
  
He leans back around the wall and elbows Mabel. “That guy has a clipboard. Are we, like, getting graded or something?”   
  
  
Mabel peeks out herself and scrunches her nose up. “Maybe he’s like… a critic or something? Or we have to be evaluated to see how well we’re doing? Your guess is as good as mine, bro.”   
  
  
Dipper frowns. He’s planned on something like this to some degree, and he isn’t too worried -- the combination of Mabel’s creativity and his attention to detail had paid off, and the haunted house looks amazing. Hours upon hours of painting, planning, and general setup had gone into its creation. If the kid is here to criticize Dipper’s masterpiece, Dipper is more than ready. But all the same, it’s stressful to know that the boy is here to judge his work.   
  
  
“Ready?” Mabel asks, grabbing her microphone and getting ready to climb into the rafters.   
  
  
Dipper nods. “Let's do it.” He holds out a fist and Mabel bumps it. She shimmies into the rafters, white nightdress billowing behind her, and he steps back, into the shadows, and makes his way to the front, to bring in the customers. Dipper knows his part, and he’s sure everything will go according to plan. Boy or no boy.   
  
  
\---------------------------------------   
  
  
Dipper stands by the entrance, greeting customers as they come out. Most of them look at least a little scared, and a couple of them stop to tell him hey man that was pretty freaky or oh my god it seemed so real. He's congratulating himself on a job well done when the tall boy in red steps out of the haunted house and walks straight up to him.   
  
  
Before Dipper has a chance to open his mouth, the boy says, “It wasn't too bad, I guess.”   
  
  
“Excuse me?”   
  
  
“Your special effects were okay, although the sound was… over the top.”   
  
  
Sound had been Mabel’s job. Dipper knows that sometimes she goes a little overboard, but he trusts her completely. Besides, he'd reviewed all her recordings, and they sounded great. Where did this guy get off criticizing their stuff like this?    
  
  
Dipper makes sure his distaste is apparent when he says, “Sorry, but who are you?”   
  
  
The boy frowns down at him. “I’m Norman. I’m a haunted house critic.”   
  
  
“Is that so?” says Dipper, barely refraining from rolling his eyes. Sarcasm positively drips from his voice.    
  
  
Norman gives him a look, a that-was-rude-but-whatever look, and pulls a flyer off his clipboard. “I'd recommend you go to Hallow Castle. You could learn a few things,” Norman says, in the same tone Dipper just used on him. And with that, the boy walks off, leaving behind a very disgruntled Dipper.


	2. Chapter 2

The second year the boy comes, Dipper is already expecting the worst. When he comes in, clipboard replaced by a smartphone, Dipper groans and drops his head onto Mabel’s shoulder. “He’s back,” Dipper mumbles into his sister’s sleeve. “The annoying clipboard guy is back, except without a clipboard.” 

Mabel isn’t having it. She lifts her brother up by the shoulders and shakes him a little. “Look, Dip, I don't like the idea of that Norman weirdo making fun of our stuff either. But seriously, our haunted house is  _ a-maz-ing _ . We took his advice, no matter how rude, and we did lots of research, and we worked our butts off. And that's all we can do, okay?” 

Dipper smiles a little. “Alright.”

“We just gotta do our best and forget the rest!” Mabel says. She holds out her hand for a fist bump, and Dipper obliges. “Now get to finishing up those effects!” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Dipper says with a salute, and the twins part ways. 

 

Up in the rafters, Dipper adjusts the projectors marginally. He wants to be sure this looks as real as possible – for the satisfaction, of course. And maybe for the sense of pride when the boy inevitably admits that the haunted house was awesome. 

Norman the critic is going to eat his words.

\------------------

Dipper waits outside again, greeting the people who walk out. There are more this year, which Dipper takes as a good sign for sure. If so many people liked his haunted house, Norman is bound to. 

Dipper watches the door for what feels like an hour until, finally, he steps out and up to Dipper.  _ Here comes the gratification. _

“Well,” he says, “you took my advice. I think you improved, but it was still kind of cheesy.”

“Cheesy?” asks Dipper indignantly. “What about it was  _ cheesy _ ?”

“The ghosts were definitely over the top,” says Norman. “And the music? That was what really ruined it. Next year, don't add that. It's ridiculous.”

Just like that, a fully formed plan springs into Dipper’s head. It's beautiful. It's perfect. It's a huge  _ fuck you  _ to Norman. “Noted,” he says, and smiles winningly. “Next year, no music.”

Norman actually smiles back, a little tentatively ( _ no that is absolutely not cute, shut up, brain) _ . “Uh, alright. See you… next year, then.”

“Next year.” 


End file.
